Bournemouth have opened the door to a January sale of Alex Scott, with Chelsea still viewing the 23-year-old as their main midfield target. While the Cherries are not actively urging the England international to leave, a big deal can be struck when the winter transfer window officially opens.
The turnaround in the club’s approach comes after Bournemouth rejected every approach last summer and insisted Scott was not for sale. The club’s change of heart followed multiple talks between the club and the player’s representatives, but they failed to agree on new terms.
Last week, Scott had turned down a new deal offer which would have made the midfielder Bournemouth’s highest-paid employee. The deal on the table would have eclipsed the roughly £150,000-per-week deal given to Antoine Semenyo, but the price Bournemouth are asking remains their main obstacle to a move.
The south coast club will only sanction a sale for an offer of around £100m, while other reports claim that an offer of over £80m with add-ons would be considered. Bournemouth also want Premier League survival to look likely before sanctioning another exit in mid-season.
Chelsea have pursued Scott for months and saw a £64m bid rejected in the summer. The Blues have held multiple contacts with the midfielder’s representatives, with Xabi Alonso’s side looking to strengthen the midfield after the late deadline-day switch of Enzo Fernández to Manchester City.
Liverpool, now managed by Scott’s former Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola, also made contact over the midfielder during the summer. However, the Reds never made an official offer and have also been monitoring Lamine Camara at Monaco. The question for Chelsea is whether the price will be worth it when the window opens. Scott’s deal runs until June 2028, so interest could fade by next summer, but if the Blues wait, competitors could have time to strengthen.
**Marco Rose Insists Alex Scott Remains Totally Committed to Bournemouth**
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Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose has played down the growing talk of Alex Scott leaving the Vitality Stadium. Before the Cherries’ Europa League win over Sturm Graz, the German stressed it was far too early to discuss another transfer window. Ahead of the weekend win over Sunderland, he reminded reporters he’d made his stance clear all summer: the player would stay. Rose added the midfielder’s displays in the opening games of the season proved his commitment.
The Bournemouth boss also revealed encouraging news regarding the fitness of the midfielder after he sustained a thigh muscle injury on international duty with England earlier this month. Rose said a recent MRI scan suggested recovery could be quicker than expected, while adding the six-to-eight-week timeline was no longer being used. Bournemouth, sat 15th in the Premier League with six points, will hope to see their key man return to action soon.